Intense, enthralling, adrenaline-pumping, with electric boats to transport overland, stands to set up, hands to shake and contracts to sign. The months of May and June were crucial for us at GardaSolar. They allowed us to get going again with the appointments we had suspended during the health emergency. We met face to face with colleagues and potential customers to share our vision on electric mobility.
Two were the main electric navigation trade fairs that we attended, which were organised within a few days of each other: EBS at Idroscalo in Milan (13-15 May) and Sottocosta in Pescara (20-22 May). In addition to these, we were also ‘indirectly’ present at the Venice Boat Show 2022 with our Dogado 1600 – E, the luxury electric boat built in collaboration with FAP – Falegnameria Artigiana Pesce. Here is our report.
EBS – Idroscalo in Milan
The first B2B and B2C event dedicated to electric navigation in Italy got off to the best possible start. It was a great opportunity for all the players in the industry to be able to meet. Great was also the choice of location, Milan’s Idroscalo. Milan is a city that once again confirmed itself as an innovation capital, capable of attracting an international audience. There were many exhibitors and big names from the nautical world, but what was most important for us at GardaSolar was the clear focus of the event on the world of electric navigation. A conscious and very specific choice, which attracted visitors who were already informed and had clear ideas, and who were able to test our Microwatt 2.0 and Gogo Smart.
Sottocosta in Pescara
A larger fair with more exhibitors that had the merit of promoting the culture of boating in a maritime city with a great tradition. The 5th edition of Sottocosta in Pescara focussed on boat design and nautical components, hosting companies that are very different in size and turnover. Compared to EBS, the focus was not specifically on electric navigation and this made the fair more ‘dispersive’ from our point of view. What is most important, however, was the confirmation that the electric mobility market is a vast one, where it is not competition but a sense of belonging that brings all professionals together, with the awareness that we are here to write the future of navigation, respecting the environment and those who live it.
“Two very different appointments, which allowed us to establish new relationships and reaffirm the excellent work done over the last few years,” commented Alberto Pozzo, CEO and creator of GardaSolar, “and confirmed the international recognition achieved by GardaSolar. Thanks to EBS, we sold our new GOGO Smart in Bulgaria, and identified a possible dealer in the area. This was the ideal tradeshow for us because it focussed on electric navigation and because Idroscalo is the great crossroads of the lakes of Lombardy.
The Sottocosta Fair was also an important event, but from our point of view there is still a difficulty for entrepreneurs to realise the potential of electric mobility for maritime navigation, rather than only lake navigation. The target audience of the fair was also very broad, perhaps too broad for us who deal exclusively with electric mobility. But the experience was extremely positive and we have the organizing team to thank for that.”
Venice Boat Show 2022
The third event, the Venice Boat Show, was an opportunity to showcase the Dogado 1600, our luxury boat – with electric or traditional engine – that once again won over the international public to the extent that it competed with the Venmar shipyard’s Respiro boat, with Cassutti Yacht Design, winner of the Boat of the Year Award. The coveted prize is awarded by the historic Italian magazine Vela e Motore, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Even the nautical sector press, including Vela e Motore, praised the Dogado’s excellent design, the quality of its manufacture and the efficiency of the GardaSolar engine. Another great result in the place where the great Italian naval tradition began: Venice.
GardaSolar’s journey doesn’t end here: in the coming weeks we will be revealing the next fairs and trade shows we are going to attend. Keep on following us!
